Agreed! The ease of billing is good for administrative purposes but not the quality of care given!

Over the past three decades, I have noticed that the quality of care, at least in my area, has improved dramatically. As for the corporations being profit driven, this is true with ALL corporations. If it were not, they wouldn't be in business very long. However, the quality of care, at least from my observations, is dictated by the quality of the care givers themselves - not the corporations. The vast majority of the caregivers I have encountered over the decades have been compassionate, caring individuals who take pride in their work. For the most part, they were highly skilled ladies, and men who treated the residents as if they were family. It takes a very special individual to do this type of work and maintain their sanity. Keep in mind that some of the residents require very little intervention from the caregivers, while others require caregivers to assist them in their every need. Some of the caregivers I encountered had worked at the same facilities for 20 or more years and were still there when I retired. They were dedicated individuals who really cared about their patients and should be applauded for their work.

Gary

Gary, I love ya to pieces, but you know I've got to disagree with you on this one.

Care in predominantly for profit nursing homes is horrendous.
The lobbying effort is massive. More than 1/2 the homes in the country are at two stars or less (that's really poor), using the government rating program. Sure there are many good workers, but it only takes one bad one to cause ciaos and death. And that happens every day.

Managements fights background checks, minimum staffing requirements, minimum wage legislation, certification...anything that costs money. Nationwide, they spent over $4 million on legislation to require arbitration. They won in several states, including Kentucky. Here, a panel of Doctors appointed by the state licensing folks listens to the complaint AFTER a fee of $780.00 is paid. TERRIBLE!

Playing someplace and seeing good people and care is different from a systematic system of inspections, statistical analysis of problems and follow-up investigations. I can't stand the nursing home industry, and actively lobby to improve things in Kentucky.

You could have lucked out and only played the good ones, but I don't think so.

Be well. Talk to you soon. I'm going to be in Chas' country the next 5 days or so.


R.

Russ, in any and all facets of medicine, it only takes one bad apple to cause lots of problems. This has been true since I first worked in the field in 1962. A classic example of this was experienced by a good friend of mine in Florida this past week. He was having some chest pains, went to the ER, the ER doc brought in an in house cardiologist, who did a stress test, then said there were abnormalities and recommended a cardiac cath be one right away, to which he consented. The idiot doing the procedure encountered a blockage and jammed the catheter through the wall of the coronary artery. Now he is undergoing bypass surgery to repair the damage done by an inept cardiologist who failed to check the patient's medical records, which revealed that he had a previous stent emplacement, which is where the blockage occurred. He is fortunate in that he didn't bleed to death and die during the procedure.

In my lifetime, I have encountered more bad doctors than I have encountered poor caregivers in assisted living centers and nursing homes. I know there are bad ones here as well, particularly in the areas bordering Washington, DC. One of my wife's nephews and his wife are state inspectors for extended care facilities. They tell me all about the horror stories they see on a daily basis. The local lawyers love these cases because they usually win and the law suits amount to huge sums, often in the millions. Believe me, those big corporations do everything they can to avoid the law suits, at least in this part of the world. I also know that many of the small, interdependent nursing homes are sub standard here. The larger, corporate assisted living centers and nursing homes here provide very high quality care.

I know we disagree on this subject, and I have always applauded your efforts to change things in Kentucky. I sincerely hope you are successful in that endeavor.

Talk to you soon,

Gary

Gentleman Gary! This is such a volatile subject that most would get pretty agitated when discussing it. Not you! You're always gracious and well-reasoned.

And here, we don't disagree that much. I've seen really bad Drs. and really good nursing home employees.

I have chosen to advocate for the residents who are mistreated and have no one advocating for change, and I'm sure you would join me in sharing concern for any resident in need.

Best personal regards,


Russ

Russ, I absolutely agree. I got to know many of the residents, personally, some of which I attended their funerals, met many of their family members. My fondest hope as a musical entertainer performing the senior circuit was that I was able to bring a little happiness into their lives at a time when their bodies, and in some instances, their minds, were failing. I still stop by at some of the facilities and visit with some of the residents and staff members once in a while. Unfortunately, one of the youngest residents of a nearby facility just passed away from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). He was only 35 years of age and spent the last three years of his life in the facility. He was a very brave individual and because of his background, he was keenly aware of what the future held. So sad.

All the best,

Gary